Planimeter



H. E. DALL PLANIMETER 5 sheets-She@t l July 12 1932.

Filed Nov- ,1' 1930 H. E. DALL PLANIMETER July 12, 1932.

Filed NOV. l, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 July l2, 1932. H. E. DALL.l 1,857,441

PLANIMETER Fiied Nov. '1. 195o s sheets-sheet 5 Patented July 12, 1932 UNETD STTES PArENrV orjFicE HORACE EDWARDqDALL, OF LUTON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNDR T GEORGE KENT, LIMITED,

. OF LUTON, ENGLAND i PLANIMETER Y Application led November 1, 1930, Serial No. 492,825, and in Great Britain November 2, v1929.

This invention relates to a planimeter, which is particularly adapted for integrating the total quantity of fluid passed in a given time from diagrams on which a variable rate of flow oi'fiuid is recorded continuously on a time basis, and on which the displacement of the recording pen from vthe Zero liovv line is proportional, or approximately proportional, to the square of the rate of flow.

The present invention provides simple means for rotating the plane of a planimeter Wheel so that when a traverse taken, its readings shall be proportional to the integrated product of the diagram co-ordinates.

i5 It is based on the factthat the arc .of -a circle may be made to intersect the co-ordinates ott a diagram, such as that above described, so that the angles intercepted between successive ordinates are very nearly those required 2o to give thev correct registration on the planimeter Wheel.

The planiineter Wheel is attached to an arm Which is so pivoted to the main frame of the apparatus that a given tired point on it will intersect the ordinates of the diagram to be integrated in the manner stated above. As any chosen tixed point on the 'pivoted arm will usually not give the .enact angular spacing required for correct integration by the i planimeter Wheel, the position of the tracing point which controls the position of the .arm will, in general, require slight modification for each angular position that the arm may take up. This required slight modication yof the angular position of the tracing point may be effected by means of `a cam and roller device, or by any equivalent device, and, since the correction to the position oit' the tracing point is everywhere small, very little force is 40 required to operate the device.

Further, since the device is only required to correct a. position which is already very nearly correct, it docs not require to be formed to an extremely high degree of accuracy. v

The pivoted `arm and the 'cam .and roller device or .equivalent device provide :an eXF tremely simple and easily made kWay of .obtaining'the required angular positions of the plane of the planimeter Wheel.

It the movement of the main frame of the appara-tus carrying the piani-meter Wheel arm as above described is in a ,direction parallel to the diagram absciss, and the tracing point is caused to follow the recorded trace of the diagram ordinates, .the p-lanimeter Wheel will `read the integrated product of the tWo ordinates. From this integrated product the total quantity of fluid passed in-a given time can be ascertained.

Suitable adjustments are provided to. enable the planimeter Wheel to give Vthe enact reading required for one complete traverse along a stated ordinate., and also to adjust for any error in the position or' the zero ordinate, due to expansion of 'the diagram paper or otherwise.

A planimeter constructed according to .the invention is applicable for use with diagrams having other co-ordinates than iiovv and time, and alsoto ordinate spacing other than-those above described. It is suitable for rect-angular, strip orV disc diagrams.

`The'invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a sectional side elevation ci one form of construction for use with a dise diagram and Figure 8 is a plan view of a modiiication for use With a strip diagram. Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view ci a further modification. Figure 5 is a diagram illustra-ting the principle on which is based the construction of apparatus according to the invention.

Referring more parti-cularly vto Figunes 1 and 2, 1 is the diagram to beintegrated and 2 is the pen trace on the diagram. 3 is .a planimeter traversing frame which is pivoted at 4L and to which an arm 5 is pivoted at 6. is a tracing point which is carried by' an .arm 8 pivoted .at 9 and having a roller 10 .engaging .a cam 11 formed on the frame 13, 1,2 being a spring which maintains the roller 10 in en.- gagement with the cam. The tracing point 7 is locked in position by a screw 13 which allows the point to be moved inwards or outwards to or from the planimeter wheel 14 by slight amounts to allow for any error in position of the zero line owing to expansion of the paper or otherwise.

The planimeter wheel is mounted in a frame 15 having spindle portions 16 pivotally mounted on fulcrum pins 17 mounted parallel with Vthe plane of the planimeter wheel in a frame 18 secured to the arm 5. In order to enable the axis of the planimeter wheel to be adjusted radially so that it may give an exact reading for one complete traverse along any stated ordinate, the pins 17'are adjustable in the frame 18 and are clamped in the desired position by screws 19.

2O is a knob by which the apparatus is traversed about the centre 4 and the tracing arm 5 is moved. 21 are rollers which support the frame 3. Y

The disc diagram 1 to be integrated is clamped between a washer 22 and a plate 23 which is fitted into a drawing board or other suitable supportby means of spikes 24. The plate 23 is threaded for reception of a pin 25 having a knurled nut 26 on its outer end,-

the nut engaging the top of the frame 3.

" In the'arrangement shown in-Figure 3, the

Y frame 3 isprovided at'one side with rollers 27 running on a guide rail 28 parallel with the-diagram a-bsciss, and is supported at the other side by a roller 29, the arm 5 being pivoted at 30 to the frame 3.

Figure 4 illustrates the application of the invention to a diagram in which the flow lines are equally spaced between Z and F. In this case the arm would be shortened so that the arc ZF would passl through the centre 32 instead Vof being almost tangential to the zero circle, Vas in Figure 1, the arm` 5 being pivotally mounted on a link 31 which is pivotally mounted at 32. Y l

Referring to Figure V5 which illustrates the principlegoverning the positioning or the arm 5 carrying the planimeterwheel 14 and thetracing point 7 for use with a circular diagram, the registration of the planimeter wheel per revolution ofthe carriage round the diagram will be proportional to R. Sin 6, where R is the radius from the diagram centre to the contact point of the planimeter wheel, and is the angle which the plane of ther planimeter wheel makes to a diagram radius passing through the Contact point. In'Figure 5 the simplecase isshown in which the contact point of the planimeter wheel coincides with the pivoting point of the tracing pointer. In this case the angle from the Zero positionwhich the tracing pointer can take upjis also equal to dandthe radius R remains constant. The arc traversed by the tracing pointer T in pivoting about the point O is shown to intersect successive lines representing equal low increments on the diagram at the point marked thus, and the length R and the radius of the pointer arc are so chosen that R. Sin 0 is approximately equal to KQ, where K is a numerical constant and Q is the rate of flow corresponding to the flow line which subtends an angle 0 on the diagram, i. e. R. Sin 0 will have a certain value when the point 7 is atjthe ordinate 2 and will have as nearly as possible twice that value when the point 7 is at the ordinate 4, three times that value when the point 7 is at the ordinate 6, and so on, the planimeter wheel lying along the radial line when the instrument is in its zero position. fr1`hus, the registration of the planimeter wheel per revolution of the carriage C round the diagram will be proportional to Q. i

Figure 5 shows the case of a diagram whose flow ordinatesare divided on an approximately square root basis which is common for flow meters based on the-differential pressure marked on the chart for all values of 6, the

cam according to the arrangements shown in Figures 1-3 is introduced in order to bring the approximate relation referred to, in accurate relation by modifying thel angular displacement ofthe planimeter wheel. To.

assist in arriving at a closer approximation to .the relation, the radius R tothe Contact point can be made to vary at different posi- Vtions of the tracing pointer by arranging that the pivoting point of the tracing arm is displaced rom the radius to the contactpoint of the planimeter wheel, as shown in Figure 1. Similarly, by modifying the length of the arm 5 and the position of the centre', other spacings than square root spacing or equal spacing could be dealt with. Y

What I claimv is Y 1. Ina planimeter foruse in integrating a diagram, means .for approximately producing the required angular displacement of the planimeter wheel for correct integration, comprising a movably mounted traversing frame, an arm pivoted to said traversing frame, atracing point on said arm, a planimeter wheel carried bysaid arm, and means connected to said tracing point and cooperating with said frame as said arm is turned about its pivot to cause the angles between successive intersections of the tracing point eter wheel for substantially radial adjusttracing point and the planimeter Wheel, a traversing frame, and a pivotal connection between Vsaid arm and frame at a point Which is so located that when the arm is turned about its pivotal mounting on the frame the angles between successive intersections of the tracing point and the diagram-are approximately those required for correctintegration of the diagram. y

vIn testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, kI have signed my name this 24th day lof` October, 1930.

HORACE EDWARD DALL.

and coacting with the arm and frame to varyl the radial position of the Wheel during travel to render its readings proportional to the integrated product of the diaphragm coordinates.

5. In a planimeter for integrating a diagram. a traversing frame, an arm connected and movable relatively to said frame, a planimeter Wheel carried by said arm, a tracing point movable With said arm, and means operatively connected to said tracing point and cooperating with said frame to modify the position of the tracing point for each angular position assumed by the arm. 6. In a planimeter for integrating a diagram. a traversing frame, anV arm connected and movable relatively to saidframe, a planimeter Wheel carried bv said arm, a tracing point movable With and relatively to said arm, and means operatively connected to said tracing point and having operative connection With said frame for varying the position of the arm in accordance with the position of the tracing point relative to the frame.

7. In a planimeter for integrating a diagram, a pivotally mounted traversing frame,

an arm connected to and movable relatively to said frame, a planimeter wheel carried by said arm, said frame having a cam surface, and an arm movably carried by the first mentioned arm contacting With and adapted to follow said cam surface, and a tracing point carried by the second mentioned arm.

8.- A planimeter according to claim 7 having a frame on the rst mentioned arm on the oppositeside of its axis to the second men- A tioned arm, and means mounting the pla- Y nimeter for adj ustment substantially radially with respect to the aXisof the planimeter frame, and a spring urging contact of the second mentioned arm with said cam surface.

9. A planimeter according to claim 6 having means slidably mounting the traversing frame.

10. A planimeter according to claim 6 hav- Aing means rotatably mounting the traversing frame, and means to secure the last mentioned means to a support.

11. In a planimeter for use 1n integrating a diagram, the combination of a planimeter Wheel, a tracing point, an armV carrying'the 'fico ,Y 

